One Icelandic mason has devoted over 20 years of his life to maintain and upkeep all 104 lighthouses around Iceland’s coast.
Vísir reports that Ingvar Hreinsson is currently in Ísafjörður, finishing up repairs to the Æðeyjarviti lighthouse. With this, he has, with the occasional help of paid volunteers, done repairs to every lighthouse in the country.
“I’ve completed the circle and that was celebrated in a fitting manner,” he told reporters. “I’ve been doing this for 21 years, working on the maintenance of these lighthouses. Now I’m finally working on this one, and have with that visited them all.”
All of these lighthouses are, interestingly enough, not under the authority of some kind of maritime service, but are overseen by The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration. There are, however, a number of smaller lighthouses which are cared for by local authorities.
While Ingvar has worked on all of these lighthouses, the one at Dyrhólaey (seen above) is a personal favourite of his.
“I’ve done most of my work there,” Ingvar told reporters. “I’ve ended up changing it, fixing it up, putting in an apartment. Today it’s one of the most expensive accommodations in the country. I am extremely proud of my work, and have strong feelings towards the lighthouse.”
Below is but a small sampling of the lighthouses Iceland has on offer:
Garður. Photo: Thorsten Henn
Galtarviti. Photo: Ólafur Jónasson
Hjalteyri. Photo: Art Bicnick
Grímsey. Photo: Art Bicnick
Buy subscriptions, t-shirts and more from our shop right here!
